Loose-leaf binder.



r v PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. J. A. MUDD'& T. R. EDDY.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 1906.

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J. A. MUDD & T. .R. EDDY.

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jzyerz 2". zzdfif 4 No. 838,435. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. J. A. MUDD' & T. R. EDDY.

LOOSE LEAP BINDER. APPLIOATION rum) APR. 2. 1906.

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Z0 add III/lII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIII/fl/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. MUDD AND THOMAS R. EDDY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309,376.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH A. MUDD and THOMAS R. EDDY, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates particularly to looseleaf binders for use as perpetual or continuous ledgers.

Our primary object is to provide a ledger of the character indicated of improved construction generally, particular attention being paid to securing a maximum capacity of adjustment, great strength and durability, and facility of adjustment.

Certain novel features of minor importance will appear from the detailed description hereinafter given.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a broken inner view of a binder constructed in accordance with our invention, the binder being in its contracted condition; Fig. 2, a similar view with the binder in the expanded condition; Fig. 3, a broken section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 1, the cover-sections being closed, however; Fig. 4, a broken section taken as indicated at line 4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a broken section taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 1 Fig. 6, a broken section taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a view in perspective of certain parts employed in connection with the actuation of the screw employed for actuating the clamping members of the binder; and Fig. 8, a perspective view of one of the parts shown in Fig; 7.

In the preferred construction A represents a back; B B, a pair of clamping members mounted to slide transversely on the back; C C, cover-sections pivotally connected with the clamping members; D, a rotatable longitudinally-immovable right and left threaded rod mounted on the back and equipped with nuts D D; E E, a pair of levers pivotally supported on the back and having cam connection with the nuts; E links connecting the ends of the levers with 'the clamping members B B; F, means for actuating the screw-rod, said means being actuated in turn by a removable key F; and G, extensible posts connecting the clamping members and adapted to engage the perforations with which the loose leaves of the ledger are provided.

The back A preferably comprises a transversely-curved member having its outer or convex surface provided with bindingleather a, cemented in place, the main surface being depressed to receive the bindingleather; longitudinal ribs a on the inner surface of the back, serving to stiffen the back and afford guides for the nuts; a thrust-sustaining member a secured to the inner surface of the back and receiving a collar a with which the rod D is equipped at its central portion; members a, secured to the inner surface of the back between the nuts and the ends of the back, said members being equippedwith studs a Fig. 3, upon which the levers E E are pivotally secured by screws a, and end flanges a between which the clamping members move on uide-sun faces a The back is also provided adjacent to one of its flanges a with a perforate lug a", Fig. 6, which serves to house certain of the parts of the means F for actuating the rod D.

The member M, which receives the longitudinal thrust of the screw-rod, is composed of two'sections, the upper one of which is designated (1 in Fig. 1 and is shown secured in place by screws. This is simply a halfcylindrical member provided with a slot receiving the collar on the rod and having lugs through which the screws pass.

The clamping members B B are approximately of a form now commonly employed, having inturned base portions 1), which slide upon the inner surface of the back, clamping portions I), joined to the portions 12 by curved portions b and rudimentary end flanges b which slide between the end flanges a of the back.

The cover-sections C C may be constructed in any desirable manner. We have shown each composed of a pair of thin boards 0 c and a covering of binding material 0 The hinge connection is formed by a piece of sheet metal bent upon itself to form an eye 0 and parallel portions 0 0 The parallel portions are inserted between the base portions of the boards 0 c and firmly secured thereto, as by means of a suitable cement. The clamping members B B are provided outside the clamping or'jaw portions 1) with lugs 0, through which pass rods 0 which rods are received also by the eye 0 of the hinge portions of the cover-sections. It will be understood that the cover-sections in the open condition of the binder the levers v as the studs work in the cam-grooves e.

are approximately transverse. It will be understood that the levers are actuated in both directions by the studs upon the nuts In the closed condition of the binder the under surfaces of the levers bear upon the upper 'or inner surfaces of the portions 1) of the clamping members, as shown in Fig. 3. The outer ends of the links E fit snugly within slots extremities of the levers.

' provided therefor in the'clamping members and are pivotally secured therein by screws 6 as shown in Fig. 3. The inner ends of the links are securely joined by pivots e to the The connections are substantial enough to maintain the clamping members in close contact with the inner surfaces of the binder-back. The camslots e of the levers are preferably curved somewhat and disposed as illustrated. The

arrangement is such that a rapid turning of the levers upon their pivots is effected by a moderate movement of the nuts. At the same time the pitch of the threads upon the rod D is such as to produce the necessary movement of the nuts by a comparatively few turns of the rod.

The means F for actuatingthe rod D comprises a collar f, secured on the rod near one end, said collar being cut away, as indicated at f, a barrel f journaled in the hollow boss a", with which the binder-back is pro-' vided, said barrel being equipped at its inner end with a lug f adapted to engage the shoulders f of the member f, and a member f confined between the outer end of the member f and the flange a of the binderback, the member f having the key-receiving slot f and a reduced portion which is received by a perforationf in the adjacent end flange a.

" registration with said shoulders.

The member f has a keyreceiving channel f with which the channel of the member f 5 may be brought into registration. The end flange a is provided, as

shown in Fig. 6, with shoulders 1, which serve to prevent rotation of the key F unless the key is inserted, so 'as to bring slots if withwhich it is equipped at its base into It now will be understood that when a key is inserted its'full length it may be turned to 6 5 cause the barrel f 2 to rotate, and thereby actuate the rod D through the medium of the collar f. The freedom of partial rotation of the barrel f 2 with relation to the collar f permits the barrel to be turned to enable the key to be withdrawn after adjustment of the clamping members.

Each extensible post comprises an inner member g, having its end received in a socket g, provided in a clamping member at one of the lugs c", and an outer tubular member 9 having its outer end received by a socket 9 provided in the other clamping" member at one of the lugs c. The outer ends of the members 9 g are secured in their sockets by the longitudinal rods '0 which comprise the pintles of the cover-sections. The socket g, which receives the outer end of the post-section g, has an enlarged bore g ,which serves to receive the inner end of the tubular post-section g when the binder is in its contracted condition.

It will be understood that the'construction permits the contraction of the binder tocontinue until the ends of the tubular post-sections encounter-the pivot-rods 0 Thus the least possible room is required for effecting connections between the post-sections, clamping members, and coversections. The preferred arrangement of the binding-posts is that indicated in Fig. 2, where part of the in ner post-sections are secured to one clamping member and part to the other and part of the outer post-sections are secured to one clamping member and part to the other. This is a well-known expedient for a well-understood purpose.

The back and clamping members of the binder are ordinarily cast of aluminium. As stated, the back preferably has the leather binding a set in substantially flush with its outer surface, and, by preference, the clamping members are covered with binding-leather h set in substantially flush with their outer surfaces. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be observed that the outer surfaces of the coversections are substantially flush with the lateral outer surfaces of the clamping members and the inner surfaces of the coversections are substantially flush with theinner surfaces of the jaw portions 1) of the clamping members. Thus the book is adapted to receive the leaves 7c between the cover-sections with little or no space between the leaves and the inner surfaces of the cover-sections.

The operation may be briefly summarized. By inserting the key F and turning the rod D in one direction the levers E E are swung by the nuts D D thereby forcing the clamping members apart, and by turning the rodin the other direction the levers are swung in the opposite direction, thereby drawing the clamping members together. When the clamping members are drawn together'with suflicient force to clamp the leaves between them, the key may be turned to the position permitting its withdrawal by reason of the lost-motion connection between the barrel f 2 and the collar f on the rod D.

It may be stated that the foregoing detailed explanation has been given for clear ness of understanding only, and no undue limitation of the invention is to be understood therefrom.

What we regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A binder comprising a back, clamping members movable transversely thereof, a longitudinal screw-rod, a nut actuated thereby, a lever pivotally connected with the back and having cam connection with the nut, and connecting members between the lever and the clamping members.

2. A binder comprising a back, clamping members movable transversely thereof, a lever pivoted on the back, a screw-rod journaled on the back, a nut working on said rod, cam connection between the nut and lever, and rigid links pivotally connected with the ends of the levers and with the clamping members.

3. A binder comprising a back, a screwrod journaled thereon and provided near its ends with right and left threads, nuts movable longitudinally of the back and working upon said threads, levers pivoted on the back and provided with cam-slots, studs on the nuts engaging said cam-slots, clamping members movable transversely of the back and links connecting the ends of the levers with the clamping members.

4. A binder comprising a back, clamping members movable transversely thereof, a right and left threaded rod journaled on the back, levers having their central portions pivoted on the back near the ends thereof, said levers having cam-slots in their inner ends, nuts on said rod movable longitudinally of the back and equipped with studs working in the cam-slots of the levers, and rigid links pivotally connected with the clamping members and with the ends of the levers.

5. A binder comprising a back, clamping members movable transversely thereof, ex

tensible bindingposts joining said clamping members, cover-sections, and a rod connecting each cover-section and a post-section with the corresponding clamping member.

6. A binder comprising a back, transversely-movable clamping members, a tubular post-section carried by one clamping member, an inner post-section carried by the other clamping member and entered in the tubular section, cover-sections, and a pivot joining each cover-section to its clamping member and also joining the corresponding post-section to its clamping member, the clamping member carrying the inner postsection having a socket ac apted to receive the free end of the tubular post-section.

7. A binder comprising a back, transversely-movable clamping members, coversections, extensible posts joining the clamping members comprising post-sections carried by each clamping member, and a rod joining each clamping member to its coversection and its several post-sections.

JOSEPH A. MUDD. THOMAS R. EDDY.

In presence of J. H. LANDES, A. U. THORIEN. 

